Ilkley-based digital compliance specialist SmartSearch has completed the acquisition of Welsh digital ID specialist Credas Technologies Ltd in a move designed to “deliver enhanced flexibility and innovation, helping regulated firms across sectors such as financial services, legal, accountancy, property, and insurance to manage risk and meet evolving KYC and AML requirements.”
The now-completed move was originally announced in October 2025, and by uniting Credas’ technology and trusted brand with SmartSearch’s own reputation and class-leading platform, the newly combined business promises to offer customers improvements across the board, including in terms of increased flexibility.
Phil Cotter, CEO, SmartSearch, said: “This acquisition enables us to streamline onboarding and monitoring for regulated firms, combining complementary technologies to deliver greater efficiency and accelerate product development.”
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SmartSearch currently supports over 7,500 UK customers, providing automated Sanctions, PEP, UBO, and adverse media screening. The combined business will add Credas’s circa 1,000 clients to the mix, serving more than 8,500 regulated firms, and continue SmartSearch’s ongoing acquisition and growth trajectory.
Tim Barnett, CEO of Credas, added: “With financial crime on the rise, digital identity verification is more critical than ever. Joining SmartSearch allows us to help more businesses protect themselves and maintain compliance.”
The acquisition also underscores the strong backing of SmartSearch’s investors, Triple Private Equity, who made a “significant” investment in early 2024, and confirms the successful execution of the company’s growth strategy. Backed by these investments, SmartSearch, which was named a 2025 Long-Term Growth Champion by the Financial Times and Statista, has developed one of the UK’s most comprehensive digital compliance platforms.
Ben Shepherd, head of value creation & founding partner at Triple added: “The acquisition of Credas reflects SmartSearch’s continued upward trajectory in the market for digital compliance solutions. We have no doubt that SmartSearch, with the addition of Credas, will continue to trailblaze in this fast-moving market.”
SmartSearch simplifies AML compliance with tailored solutions for seamless monitoring and adherence to regulations. Its online platform enables customers to electronically identify UK and international individuals and businesses. It also claims to be the only Know Your Customer (KYC) solution that also provides full sanction and Politically Exposed Person (PEP) screening and ongoing monitoring, allowing clients to use this one piece of technology for all their AML compliance needs.
